Nielsen’s Nook

Dr. Peter Enns, former all-star professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, was interviewed at 10:00 am (Central) today by Public Radio WHYY’s Marty Moss-Coane.

Dr. Enns’ now infamous and scholarly (and dare I say it … pastoral) book, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament seeks to approach difficulties in the Old Testament (e.g., two drastically different Hebrew Manuscripts of Jeremiah) and in terms of the Incarnation. Ultimately, Dr. Enns seeks to uphold the mystery of the divine and human union of Scripture as the basis for its trustworthiness in faith and practice.

Dr. Enns blogs at a time to tear down | A Time to Build Up.
Listen to the interview with WHYY’s Marty Moss-Coane:

[Download]

Addendum:

About 41 minutes in, an atheist caller named Jim calls and makes the statement that if he would have had the paradigm of scripture that is presented in Inspiration and Incarnation, he wonders if that would not have saved his faith. Pete does a very pastoral job of encouraging Jim toward the God revealed in the Bible.

Dr. Craig Higgins, Pastor of Trinity Church in Rye, New York wrote an article in the Journal of Biblical Counseling, “Spiritual Formation and the Lord’s Supper: Remembering, Receiving, Sharing,” which I mentioned yesterday when I shared a Robert Bruce quote from the article. I have put together a reflection on the article that largely agrees with it, focusing on elements of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) and its Shorter Catechism (SC). The goal here is not in any way to project that this is the only way to read the WCF or SC but it is a way that I find is both plausible and has historical precedent.[1]

WCF 21.5. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.[2] (emphasis added)

I read this section of the WCF chapter entitled “Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day” and see that there is a list given of liturgical elements that are at the very least assumed to be part of “ordinary religious worship.” I take “ordinary religious worship” to mean at least Sunday Worship but conceivably more often. [3] The list is essentially 1) Word preached to obedient hearts, 2) singing, and 3) sacraments.

Section 5 comes in the context of 21.1) Worship must be scriptural, 21.2) Triune, and 21.3-4) lawfully prayerful. So, the implication from my reading of the WCF seems to be clear. If we lack the preaching of the word in our corporate worship is that not un-ordinary? If we did quarterly sermons, would that not be un-ordinary? The same with singing. Interestingly, prayer seems to be assumed as the atmosphere but not listed out as one of these “parts of the ordinary religious worship of God.”

My point about the Eucharist in light of the WCF is furthered when we take in to consideration the list that follows the phrase “are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God.” There we see things that appear most obvious to be the sorts of things that would be appropriate in Corporate Worship but unnecessary. Hence, even the explicit “upon special occasions” and “several times and seasons” is given.

In elucidating the vital role that Word, Sacraments and Prayer play in the spiritual health of a believer, the Shorter Catechism Questions 85 - 96 answer the question “What does God require of us to escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin?” Answer: Faith, Repentance and the diligent use of all the outward means where by Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption. (Dr. Higgins points this out in his article). Those outward means are of course defined as the Word, Sacraments and Prayer - all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation (Q88). The sacraments are those sensible signs which Christ has blessed and in which the Spirit works to give us Christ and the benefits of the New Covenant (Q92).

Dr. Higgins also made mention of Q92 in the paper. Frankly, the language of representing and sealing can obfuscate the matter (at least to contemporary ears). Either Christ is given or he is not. Certainly he is represented; we would expect that if Christ is given in something instrumentally or otherwise. Whatever the case, we have established it is Christ who is given and in giving himself in the Eucharist we are “made partakers of his body and blood” to our “spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.”

Scripture teaches at least this about the Eucharist and it is, after all, our confessional document returning us to the tradition of our fathers which is the milieu in which we both interpret scripture and execute its practice. We submit ourselves to scripture in the context of tradition that we may not be impaled upon the pike of private interpretation, dislocated from the Church that has handed down to us the faith that we hold dear.

That being said, let me ask a question that is intended to provoke discussion, but not wrath or divisiveness. Does any minister or church body have the prerogative to withhold the very means of grace given to us by Christ from His sheep at any point of Ordinary Religious Worship especially when our own Presbyterian tradition has said that the Eucharist is part of the “ordinary religious worship of God?”

[1] I am writing to a Presbyterian audience, but I hope that any Christian would be able to engage this article.

[2] Thanks to Matt Bradley for pointing these distinctions of the WCF out to me.

[3] In other words, it would be quite un-ordinary if churches decided to meet only monthly to engage in corporate worship.

The Mercies of God as the Basis for Sanctification and Paul’s Urging

Paul had written to the church at Rome. That church had some life in it in its own right. He was hashing out some of the main points of the Gospel for them and he turns to urge these good Christian people towards their created purpose. In the language of the Westminster Confession we might summarize this call or urging the Apostle Paul makes as, “I urge you to be sanctified in body and mind for that is the most human thing you can do!”

But if we’re not careful, if we don’t take the context and what has come before Romans 12:1-2 in to consideration, we might miss the very basis by which Paul expects Christians to grow in grace in demonstrating more clearly the likeness of God in greater fellowship with Him.

There are two indicators in the passage that I want you to recognize. The first and most obvious is the word translated “therefore”. That clues us in that Paul’s assertions about mind-body sanctification are predicated upon or assume more basic building blocks of faith.

The second indicator is the phrase translated “by the mercies of God.” The word here for “mercies” or “compassions” is a word unique to Paul excepting one occurrence in the Epistle to the Hebrews and it points us back to the ideas in the previous chapters of the Epistle. There we find that God was not content to give everyone over to the lusts of their flesh to defile their bodies and demonstrate their minds as failed.

God in his mercies was pleased to change the very desire structure of our hearts. In binding us to Christ by faith alone we have been justified as Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

II. Covenantal Framework

A. Covenantal Implications in a Sacramental World

Broadly speaking we live in a sacramental world that is related to us by means of covenant (WCF 7.1). So if we do not understand Adam and Eve’s relationship as creatures to their Creator and his Creation, these two trees in the midst of the Garden of Eden will not make any sense.

1. Covenantal: divine, personal condescension

Covenant is a word that we use often in the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition. It is a biblical term and one that has been developed theologically for thousands of years. The Westminster Confession of Faith describes covenant as the expression of “voluntary condescension on God’s part” in which he reveals to us something of who he is, what he requires of us, and what the consequences are for obedience and disobedience.

Adam and Eve operated in a context of covenant. God said to Adam, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you do, you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) God had condescended to Adam, explaining clearly the parameters of the covenant and clearly enunciating the penalty for
disobedience. What is promised implicitly but clearly here is that if Adam were to obey, he would receive the life promised to him in the tree first named, the tree of life.

I had said just a moment ago that “Broadly speaking we live in a sacramental world that is related to us by means of covenant.” I hope you see how the circumstances of how Adam and Eve were related to God were indeed covenantal. Now, I want to help you understand what I mean when I say that we live in a sacramental world.

2. Sacramental: physical means of a spiritual communication

As Protestants we believe that the scriptures teach us that there are only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist. A sacrament, according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, is an outward or physical means, whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.[1]

Now, I am not implying that all of creation communicates to us the benefits of redemption. What I am saying is that God uses physical or outward means to communicate spiritually to us. In psalm 19 we find evidence for this. God uses the heavens to communicate to us something of the spiritual reality of his glory.

B. The Sacramental Nature of the Trees

While all of nature tells us unspeakably much about the Creator, these two trees in the midst of the Garden of Eden were physical symbols being used by God in the context of covenant to communicate a spiritual reality. So in this broad sense of the term, the trees are sacramental.

C. Probation of Humanity in the Garden

Had Adam and Eve obeyed the prohibition God had given not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, there is reason to believe that the tree would have “played a role in a very different sort of transformation.” [2]

D. Destiny

To say that there would have been a “different sort of transformation” is to say that God did not create human beings for failure and fig leaves. Our destiny is not dark knowledge and cheap existence, but bright wisdom and thick life.

__________

[1] See WSC#88.

[2] William N. Wilder, “Illumination and Investiture: The Royal Significance of the Tree of Wisdom in Genesis 3,” The Westminster Theological Journal 68.1, no. Spring (2006): 52.

Yesterday, Kevin Johnson at ReformedCatholicism.com has started a thoughtful discussion on the centrality of preaching in the worship of the church. Or better stated of all the outward means that the Holy Spirit uses to nourish Christ’s sheep, the preaching of the Word is central. The comments are worth reading too as the discussion unfolds.

Nestle-Aland 27

1 Εἰ οὖν συνηγέρθητε τῷ Χριστῷ , τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖτε , οὗ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ καθήμενος · 2 τὰ ἄνω φρονεῖτε ,  1 μὴ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς . 3 ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται   2 σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ θεῷ · 4 ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ ,  3 ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν , τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ .

My Translation

3:1 Therefore if you were raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Be disposed to the things that are above, not to the things upon the earth. 3 For you died and your life has been encrypted with Christ in God. 4 Whenever Christ, your life, is made manifest, at that time you will also be made manifest with him in glory.

Grammar & Vocabulary

1 The idea that φρονέω conveys seems to be rather holistic. It seems to incorporate our attitude toward something (Phil 2:5) and also reflects the end to which we focus our thinking and discerning faculties (Rom 12:16; Gal 5:10).

2 The verb κρύπτω is often translated as “to hide”; however, there is much to consider in how one is hidden in Christ. The word ‘encrypt’ is etymologically related to this Greek word and fleshes out the semantic dimensions that while one is hidden in Christ it is such a hiding that conceals them in Him, that prevents them from being found. It communicates a sort of confident security in Christ.

3 φανερόω is used twice in verse 4. In both the case in which ‘you’ is the subject and the case in which ‘Christ’ is the word is an aorist passive indicative. While ‘manifest’ might be a little clunky here, it is my hope that we see the passive here directs us to the fact that all that happens is according to God’s plan, even when Jesus comes again to judge the quick and the dead.

Commentary

Chapter 3 of Colossians could be thought of under the heading of “Processional Living”. This heading speaks to us of who Christ is as king, who we are as heirs with him, and the fact that we, who have been justified by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, now walk with him to the same divinely appointed destination.

Paul begins by reminding the Colossian Christians who they are. They are those who by faith have been raised with Christ. They have received eternal life. They have become Christ’s sheep and no one or no thing can ever snatch them from the Father’s hand. By saying that they are raised with Christ, he is reminding them that they share the destiny of Jesus: resurrection from the dead unto unhindered fellowship with God.

Having reminded them of who they are, Paul then seems to answer the question, “What is someone united to Christ to do?” They are to seek for and be disposed to the things above and not to the things upon the earth (i.e., created things). This is an imperative to sanctification, the theological term for growing in godliness.

While regeneration, the making alive of a sinner to God, can never be thought of as cooperative; the progression of the Christian Pilgrim in this new life with Christ is very much a synergistic work. The Westminster Confession inform us that the irreconcilable war of sanctification is one in which the regenerate part of a Christian does overcome and so he or she grows in grace (WCF 13.3). Sanctification is the place where the justified walk with God working out their salvation because God works in them to will and to act (Phil 2:12-13). As such when one who is united to Christ does sin, we find that they, in turning from their hated sin, they are to purpose and endeavor to walk with Christ in all his ways and commandments (WCF 15.2). While there is no sin so small that it does not require damnation, there is no sin so great that it would bring damnation on those who truly repent (WCF 15.4). In other words, the activity of faithfully pursuing Christ and things above is done imperfectly and yet securely in Him.

If this would seem to be a sketch of what someone united to Christ would do, then we are left with the question of why such a person would do these things. The Christian has died to the old autonomy and againstness to God and the life (i.e., liveliness) that was given to them is hidden with Christ in God (v. 3). Paul returns us to the place he began. He returns us to our union to Christ who is our life (John 6:35,53; 11:25).

Christ is our life and our final destination. That is to say that he is not only the basis upon which we pursue godliness with Him working in us, but he is also the godliness that we pursue. When a person is justified and regenerated their sin is imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to them. Sanctification is the working out of Christ’s righteousness in us with a view towards perfection. How could anyone ever be – ever hope of being – truly godly? The good news of the Gospel is that those whom Christ justified, he sanctifies; and those whom he sanctifies he glorifies, which is the perfect and holy godliness for which we strive now in Christ on this earth.

May the Lord empower us to run as those who know that they are rooted in one who loves them, will never forsake them, and who can never fail in remaking them in to the image of God that is in likeness of God and lives in fellowship with God. Amen.

I am taking a little break from Malachi this morning and spent my time reflecting on the 90th question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. I have included it for your convenience below:

Q90: How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?

Answer: That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.